Garment-fastener



(No Model.) I. MGRSElA v GABMNT PASTENBR. N0. 357,621. Patented Feb. 15,1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE.

IEA MoEsE, E DANEUEY, CONNECTICUT,

eARMENT-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,621, dated February 15, 1887.

Application led September 16, 1886. Serial No. 213,649. (No model.)

VTo all whom t may concern: A

declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates more especially to that class of fasteners or catches adapted to be used in securing ladies7 cloaks, dresses, Snc. ,although it is capable of general application-as, for example, in fastening shoes, gloves, corsets, Ste.

The object of my invention is to produce a metallic fastener or catch, made either of sheet metal or wire, which shall consist of two parts only, shall be easy and cheap to make, and which shall be adapted to secure overlapping edges in such a manner that no portion of either part of the catch or the fasteniugs therefor will extend beyond the edge of the garment or be visible at the edge. Prior to my invention all fasteners of this class which have been placed upon the market have been so constructed that one of the parts of the fastener or the fastenings therefor extended outwardly beyond the outer overlapping edge of the garment to be joined.

The two styles of fastening at present universally used for dresses, Src., are the buttonhole and button and the hook and eye of former generations.

It is of course well understood that fashion frequently decrees that buttons shall not be used, and at other times that if used they shall be stitched upon the outside of the fabric. This compels the use of hooks and eyes, or their equivalents, as the only available means of joining the edges. In practice, in order that the overlapping edge shall fully cover the eye and the loops of thread by which it is attached, it is necessary that the hook shall be set quite a distance back from the edge, and that the overlapping fold shall be quite wide. This isseriously objectionable, as it not only necessitates a waste of material, but is also exceedingly inconvenient and bungling to use, being difficult to keep in place. For this reason it has become quite common to form loops or flexible bars of cord, or to work them with thread, instead of using eyes. These, however, are far from giving perfect satisfaction. Considerable time and patience are required to make them, and still more to keep them in condition for use, and when in what is supposed to be working condition they are inconvenient to catch, and the parts are very apt to become disengaged, owing to the looseness of the loops. ln order to overcome these objections and produce a fastener or catch which may be made at slight expense, which does not require wide overlapping edges, and

in which the points ofconnection of the parts in use are close to the edges of the garment, but are wholly concealed from view, I have devised the novel construction which I will now proceed to describe, referringby letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in Which- Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating my invention in use, the upper edge of the garment being broken away to show the manner of attachment and engagement of the parts; Fig. 2, a cross-section on the line .fc x. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively views of the hook and catch detached. Figs. 5 and 6 lare views corresponding, respectively, with Figs. 3 and 4, the hook portion being provided with a locking-spring a stop or projectiomwhich is engaged thereby, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section illustrating the parts, as in Figs. 5 and 6, in a locked position, the spring being in elevation.

A denotes the hook portion, and B the catch portion. The hook portion is attached to the under side of the upper edge of the garment, preferably lby stitches, holes being provided in plate l of the hook portion for that purpose. The hook consists of two separate prongs, 2, and projects outward toward the edge of the garment, and then curves outward and backward, as is clearly shown. Plate 3 of the catch, which is adapted to engage the hook, is formed with a groove or depression, 4, across it from side to side, holes being provided at the bottom of the depression as a means for attachment by stitches, ortin any other suitable manner. The catch is attached to the upper side of the under edge of the garment, with the depression toward the surface of the garment, the plate lying a short dishaving a shoulder and the catch portion with i IOO tance above it. It is engaged by passing prongs 2 of the hook under the plate on opposite sides of the groove or depression, the inner end of cu t-away portion 5 between said prongs eugaging the inner end of the depression in the plate, as is clearly shown in Figs. l and 2.

The form illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 is made substantially like the form in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4. In addition to the features shown in latter figures, depression 4 in plate 3 is provided at its outer end with a raised stop or projection, 1I, and the hook portion is provided on its under side with a spring, 8, having a shoulder, 9. This spring extends forward between prongs 2 of the hook portion, and in use engages projection 11, as clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. In the act of engagement the spring is pressed up by the projection until the shoulder passes over it. The shoulder then drops down into depression 4 back of the projection, thus locking the parts together. 'Io release the parts it is simply necessary to raise the spring until the shoulder will clear the projection. This in use is found to be a very valuable feature, as it positively prevents the edges of the garment from becoming unfastened, but at the same time permits them to be readily unfastened when desired.

I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate a form of my improved garment-fastener in which the parts shall be made of wire, as the substitution of wire for sheet metal in the nia-nufacture of articles of this class is quite common-as, for example, in the manufacture of ordinary hooks and eyes.

It will ot' course be understood that the details of construction are subject to almost unlimited Avariations without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I cla-ime 1. A garment-catch consisting of a hook portion having two separate prongs curved outward and backward and a catch portion consisting of a plate with a groove or depression across it, said prongs being adapted to pass under said plate on opposite sides of the groove or depression, whereby the parts are engaged in use.

2. In a garment-fastener, a hook portion consisting of a plate, l, and prongs 2, in com bination with a catch portion consisting of a plate, 3, having a depression, 4, by which it is attached to the garment, the prongs of the hook portion being adapted to pass on opposite sides of said depression in the act of engagement, substantially as described.

3. In a garment-fastener, a hook portion consisting of a plate having prongs 2, and a shouldered spring lying between said prongs, in combination with a catch portion consisting of a plate having a depression, 4, witha projection, 1l, at the outer end of said depression, which is engaged bythe shoulder ofthe spring to retain the parts in the closed position, substantially as described.

4. Plate l,having curved prongs 2, and spring 8, having a shoulder, 9, secured to said plate, in combination with a plate, 3, having a de pression, 4, with a projection, 1l, at its outer end, said prongs being adapted to engage plate 3 when in the closed position, and shoulder 9, to engage projection ll,whereby the part-s are locked.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IRA MORSE.

Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTnR.,

SAMUEL C. PARMELEE. 

